Can you hear it?

It is the sound of nothing but slow, relaxed, happy breathing. It's the hum of a slow summer day. It's the sound of bugs flying from one flower to the next. It's the sound of ice melting from hot, fresh tea being poured over it.

Welcome to my day, sprinkled with a bit of reality (laundry and dishes don't take a vacation).

Last Friday wrapped a crazy week of VBS. The boys had a great time, but it sure was all consuming. Think I logged, on average, 6 hours each day at church even though VBS was only 3 hours. I'll be the first to admit, and the boys will attest to it, that it wore me out. Knowing myself though, by next May or so, I'll be ready to jump back into it and log some crazy hours again. Hopefully, I'll remember what worked and what didn't!! Eeek, I'm suppose to write something like that up for the co0rdinaters (yes, I did a lot of hours, phone calls, shopping, computer work, etc. and I wasn't a coordinater over it all. Our 5th and 6th graders do a number of service projects during the week and that takes a lot of planning).

Okay, back to this week. It was thought that this week would be a lot slower! Yeah right! As certain parts of our Home Study took so long to get accomplished, some of the back ground checks have expired and new "rules" took effect as of July 1, 2010. So, we spent a portion of yesterday getting finger printed AGAIN, I need to go by the post office to pick up a lot of $$$'s worth of certified checks AGAIN, and get another form notarized AGAIN. Friday, we hope to drop all this off, in person, during our last interview (yup, as of July 1, 2010 we need 3 interviews).

Scattered in there is getting Thing One ready for his first Cub Scout sleep away camp! Not sure who is more nervous - him or me!! Kevin would tell you, in a heart beat, that it's me! Just can't believe he's old enough for things like this. Yes, there may be kids that go to sleep away camp or boarding school earlier than 10, but our kids never asked to go!

Probably should get back to reality for a bit! At least check on laundry and do a few odds and ends. Some will be fun, some school related, some just flat out CHORES.

Stay cool friends!



P.S. How do you like the photo (above) of the flowers in the corner of our yard? Been meaning to take one lately and got around to it today. It's my tribute to Wordless Wednesday even though I wrote a lot.

Somewhat Wordless Wednesday

40!!

Yes, today I'm 40!! It's never quite phased me to get older. Being the youngest of 5 helps; having close friends older helps (and a few younger to keep me feeling young); and realizing it's just a number helps.

As of right now, I'm enjoying the last few minutes of a quiet household as Kevin took the boys to Martial Arts tonight. We'll hang out more this evening. Have some lasagna, bread, wine, angel food cake and chocolate mouse. Yummie!!!!!

As I haven't posted a photo in awhile, I snapped
this one this morning. My favorite cake cooling on a
bottle of my favorite wine!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

It's not to uncommon that the boys dress totally in their favorite color.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wendesday

Wordless Wendesday

Wordless Wendesday

Wordless Wednesday

Basket of Yarn

Wordless Wednesday

Not so Wordless Wednesday

If I had followers for Wordless Wednesday, I've probably long since lost them. Christmas and New Years threw my schedule out of whack. Then, being sick for a week and half. AAAwwk!!! Or should I say "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!!!!!!" Today is probably the first day that I actually feel like I am getting better. It's my hope that after school, I'll be able to take a few photo's of my new shelves for Wordless Wednesday and post them a bit later today.

Happy New Year etc.

My first blog post of 2009 is long overdue!! Eleven days to be exact. The first part of those days, Kevin was still off and we did a lot of reorganizing around the house. I had gotten book shelves (yes, bookshelves) for Christmas and was busy rearranging a room around those said shelves. What's odd, is that since I started blogging, I take pictures of just about everything so that I can post them too. I've even started a post, paused so I could take pictures, come back and upload said photo's. This time, nope, no pictures. Maybe if I get back into Wordless Wednesday.

Last week we began school again. It was difficult for all us to get back into the routine of school, bedtimes, library, Scouts, church events, bible studies, winter swim, yada, yada, yada. On top of that, I managed to come down with bronchitis. I've been on a few meds for three days now, feel a bit better, but no where close to 100%. So, blogging in 2009, will be off to a slow start.

More to come, though, in the tales of a homeschooling family. Ours boys will be celebrating their 9th and 6th birthdays in coming days.

Another Not Wordless Wednesday

NEGATIVE SPACE ART PROJECT

We've been working through "Snowflake Bentley" last week and this week.  Today, we worked on Negative Space.  Don't recall where I found the idea for negative space, but it was a fun art project for the boys to work on.  Here's what we did:

1. start with two favorite colors of construction paper
2. cut one in half and set one half aside
3. fold larger sheet in half (optional) to give kids a reference point
4. draw a design or half of a scene on smaller piece of paper
5. cut out scene or objects
6. lay out the parts cut from the half sheet along the fold forming half the design
7. the remaining parts are placed on the opposite side of the full sheet in locations opposite those from which they were cut
8. glue parts down

Wordless Wednesday

Not a Wordless Wednesday

It's been a bit challenging to keep up with Monday Musings, Wordless Wednesday, Science Friday.  Thanksgiving and a cold got the best of me.

In trying to consolidate postings, I remembered this picture.  We'd planned on giving the Bibles as Christmas gifts, but when the boys began asking for big kid bibles, it was hard to not give in and let them have it early.  Both were excited to get their new Bible.  They've enjoyed learning how to look up passages and learning to read from them.

Not a Wordless Wednesday

I have been working on this baby blanket since, I think the beginning of August; granted not every day.  A couple weeks ago, with just three and 1/2 panels finished, I decided I wanted to get it finished before Thanksgiving (and have my hubby bring it to work for one of his co-workers).  Was almost there,  if I hadn't been so sick yesterday, I would have taken the photo's and the blanket could have been delivered.

Not that anyone particularly cares, but each panel is 32 knit stitches wide and 62 rows (or 31 ribs) long.  When I had 4 panels of each color, I had to figure out which color would be the X and choose the multi colored yarn.  I whip stitched them together in cream, as it was in both colors, to varying degrees, and then a stocking stitch around the edges.  A stocking stitch is one row knit stitch, one row purl stitch, until a desired length is reached - 5 rows here.

I think it turned out well and hope hubby's co-worker likes it.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday